The Flight Risk Reduction Act would change federal bail and detention rules for defendants who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. Under current law, judges decide whether to release or detain defendants before trial based on factors like whether they pose a danger or might flee. This bill creates a legal presumption that non-citizen defendants automatically pose a serious flight risk and danger to the community, placing the burden on them to prove otherwise using "clear and convincing evidence"—a high legal standard. The bill also specifies that defendants cannot use family ties or employment in the United States to argue against this presumption. The legislation would apply to all federal criminal cases involving non-citizen defendants and would take effect upon passage, with no specific funding authorization mentioned.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.